Policies, plans & strategies 2010 - 2018
The Women's Community Health Network (WCHN) is committed to promoting a planned, coordinated and evidence-based approach to enabling women to live safe, well and economically secure. The Women's Community Health Network supports strategies and implementation plans that are tailored to the diverse needs of different groups of (particularly disadvantaged) women and the unique demographics of specific communities and regions.
The Women’s Community Health Network’s priority areas are strategically aligned and leverage off Federal and State policy frameworks. This approach ensures that WCHN’s work supports the current policy agenda; while partaking, where possible, in purposeful implementation processes and activities to ensure that the lived realities of disadvantaged women in Western Australia are effectively and meaningfully responded to. Visit our strategic planning page to learn about the suite of State and Federal policy frameworks that WCHN is guided by and directly impact on our work.
Commonwealth Government
National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children 2010-2022
The National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 was released on 15 February 2011 and provides the framework for action by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments to reduce violence against women and their children.
The National Plan is being implemented via four three year action plans. The Second Action Plan (Moving Ahead 2013-2016) was released on 27 June 2014.
See the links below for further information about the National Plan and Second Action Plan including new initiatives, resources and progress reports.
National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022
Second Action Plan (Moving Ahead) 2013-2016
National Women's Health Policy 2010
The Government’s National Women’s Health Policy 2010 aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in Australia, especially those at greatest risk for poor health. The policy builds on the foundation of the first National Women’s Health Policy: Advancing Women’s Health in Australia which was released in 1989. The policy adopts a dual priority approach that recognises the importance of addressing immediate and future health challenges while also addressing the fundamental ways in which society is structured that impacts on women’s health and wellbeing. It reflects the equal priorities of:
- Maintaining and developing health services and prevention programs to treat and avoid disease through targeting health issues that will have the greatest impact over the next two decades; and
- Aiming to address health inequities through broader reforms addressing the social determinants of health.
There is no funding attached to the implementation of this policy.
The policy can be found at:
National Women's Health Policy 2010
Western Australian Government
Western Australia’s Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy to 2022
Western Australia's Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy to 2022 is Western Australia’s framework for responding to family and domestic violence. It provides a long term focus to 2022 and aligns state priorities with the focus areas of the National Plan. The Outcomes of the Prevention Strategy are:
- Prevention and Early Intervention
Individual attitudes and behaviours within the community reflect that family and domestic violence in any form is not acceptable. - Safety for Victims
Adult and child victims are safe and kept free from harm through timely and accessible services. - Accountability for Perpetrators
Perpetrators are held accountable for their actions and are actively supported to cease their violent behaviour.
The Prevention Strategy serves as the WA Implementation Plan for the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.
Western Australia's Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Strategy to 2022
WA Strategic Plan for Family and Domestic Violence 2009-2013
Improving Maternity Services: Working Together Across WA – A policy Framework (2007)
Improving Maternity Services: Working Together Across WA provides a policy framework for maternity services in Western Australia. The framework draws together the evidence in relation to best practice, community expectations and aspirations, as well as the needs of the workforce. The framework presents several models of maternity care that research literature and practical experience demonstrate are safe and effective within certain contexts and are achievable with the current maternity workforce. A move to increase community based maternity care with greater emphasis on continuity of both care and carer are reflected within the models. An attempt has been made to present models that are known to assist in delivering services that are efficient, effective and acceptable.
The models of care are presented to assist Area Health Services to continue to develop a range of maternity care options in consultation with their local communities. The framework presents several models of maternity care that research literature and practical experience demonstrate are safe and effective within certain contexts and are achievable with the current maternity workforce. A move to increase community based maternity care with greater emphasis on continuity of both care and carer are reflected within the models tht are presented to assist Area Health Services to continue to develop a range of maternity care options in consultation with their local communities.
Improving Maternity Services: Working Together Across WA – A policy Framework (2007)
Western Australian Women’s Health Strategy 2013 – 2017
The Western Australian Women's Health Strategy is a whole of health strategy. The aim of the Strategy is to improve the health and wellbeing of Western Australian women and particularly those women who are at most risk. It promotes substantive equality and social inclusion by focusing on priority areas and particular high risk groups of women that need targeted action.
The Strategy will be implemented through an annual planning, monitoring, review and reporting cycle. Each plan will be reviewed at the end of the cycle and will be published in an Annual Action Plan Statement by Women and Newborn Health Service, Women's Health Policy and Projects Unit.
There is no funding attached to the implementation of this Strategy.